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Spring Equinox: A Minoan quandary

Mar 20, 2019
1 min

Spring Equinox: A Minoan quandary

It's Spring Equinox where I live in the southeastern US, but in Crete where the ancient Minoans lived, it's harvest time. So for those of us who practice Modern Minoan Paganism, the equinoxes tend to be "fun with sacred calendars" time. More about how we handle this interesting issue on today's Minoan Path blog: The Equinoxes in Modern Minoan Paganism: A problem of location To join the conversation about Modern Minoan Paganism and ancient Minoan culture, head on over to our w

The Minoan Sacred Year: A Modern Pagan Calendar

Jan 30, 2019
1 min

The Minoan Sacred Year: A Modern Pagan Calendar

The eightfold Wheel of the Year may be the most well-known Pagan calendar in the modern world, but it's not historical: it was created in the 20th century for modern Pagans. The ancient Minoans didn't use it. So what did they have? Probably, a very complicated year full of all kinds of festivals and sacred days, much like the later ancient Romans had. We've figured out what some of those festivals might have been and put them together into our sacred calendar for Modern Minoa

The Blessing of the Waters: Building Modern Minoan Paganism

Jan 16, 2019
1 min

The Blessing of the Waters: Building Modern Minoan Paganism

In modern life, we often take water for granted. All we have to do is turn on a tap to get all we want, hot or cold. It wasn't that easy in the ancient world, even in "high" civilizations like the Minoans. Modern Minoan Paganism is an evolving tradition, and we've recently added a new ritual to our sacred calendar: The Blessing of the Waters. It's based on the remnants of a pre-Christian tradition from Crete and neighboring areas. It's great way to connect with the water in y

New Year, New Saying, No Resolutions

Jan 2, 2019
3 min

New Year, New Saying, No Resolutions

My social media feeds are full of friends and colleagues sharing the New Year's resolutions they've made and intentions they've set. It's the same every year. And while I applaud those who actually carry through with the resolutions and intentions over the long term, that's just not an activity I feel inspired to participate in. You see, I think there's a reason it's so hard to stick with all the resolutions people make this time of year. Sure, it's the beginning of the new c

Happy holidays! Or, don't tell other people how to celebrate

Nov 13, 2018
2 min

Happy holidays! Or, don't tell other people how to celebrate

The holiday season is a rough time of year for many people. A lot of us have to navigate family conflicts, religious baggage, work obligations, issues of expectations and stress and budgets... you get the idea. So why must so many of us make it even worse by making demands about how others deal with this time of year? I've grown to expect that a certain variety of Christian will make a stink about people who don't say Merry Christmas. I just can't take them seriously and I've

Dining with the Ancestors: A Modern Minoan Rite

Oct 30, 2018
1 min

Dining with the Ancestors: A Modern Minoan Rite

It's Samhain season here in the northern hemisphere, and my thoughts are turning toward the Ancestors and the spirits of the dead. Though the ancient Minoans didn't celebrate Samhain (it's a Celtic festival, not a Minoan one) they did hold dining rites that look remarkably like a Dumb Supper. Find out about the Minoan dining shrines and how to put on your own Minoan-themed Dinner for the Dead in this week's Minoan Path blog post: Dining with the Ancestors: A Modern Minoan Rit

Summer Solstice in Modern Minoan Paganism

Jun 19, 2018
1 min

Summer Solstice in Modern Minoan Paganism

The Minoan pantheon offers us a collection of different deities and myths to focus on as Summer Solstice approaches here in the northern hemisphere. How will you celebrate? Summer Solstice: Celebrating Modern Minoan Paganism If you'd like to join the conversation about Modern Minoan Paganism and ancient Minoan civilization, head on over to our welcoming community at Ariadne's Tribe on Facebook. In the name of the bee, And of the butterfly, And of the breeze, amen. #goddess #c

Spring Equinox, Minoan harvest, and upside-down calendars

Mar 20, 2018
1 min

Spring Equinox, Minoan harvest, and upside-down calendars

Today is the Spring Equinox where I live in the southeastern US, but it's harvest time in places like Crete, where the ancient Minoans lived. It's a confusing state of affairs, but the Mediterranean climate is an important facet of life in that region. Today on the Minoan Path blog, I'm celebrating both springtime and harvest: Spring Equinox, Minoan harvest, and upside-down calendars To join the conversation about Modern Minoan Paganism, head on over to our welcoming communit

Not a resolution, just a meditation

Jan 2, 2018
2 min

Not a resolution, just a meditation

I've never really been into New Year's resolutions. To me, the energy this time of year is still too quiet, too dormant to get me motivated to make big life changes. I tend to make my resolutions around Spring Equinox instead (which happens to be the old European agricultural New Year) - when the seasons are growing and "springing" and I feel inspired to get moving. So what do I do in January? I pick a Saying of the Year. I know, it sounds dopey. But it works for me at this c

Honoring the Dead: Modern Minoan Seasonality

Oct 26, 2016
1 min

Honoring the Dead: Modern Minoan Seasonality

Here in the northern hemisphere we're heading toward Samhain, a time to honor the ancestors. The Minoans didn't celebrate Samhain - their sacred calendar is pretty different from the modern neopagan Wheel of the Year - but they did do some things that look an awful lot like our modern Samhain celebrations. To find out more, head on over to my Minoan Path blog: Honoring the Dead: Modern Minoan Seasonality If you'd like to join the conversation about Modern Minoan Paganism, hea

Let's Celebrate the Feast of Grapes!

Aug 31, 2016
1 min

Let's Celebrate the Feast of Grapes!

In Modern Minoan Paganism, the last day of August is the Feast of Grapes. It's a celebration of the grape harvest and the sacrificial death of the vine-god Dionysus. Find out how you can mark this day in today's Minoan Path blog post: Let's Celebrate the Feast of Grapes! To join the conversation about Modern Minoan Paganism, head on over to Ariadne's Tribe, our welcoming community on Facebook. In the name of the bee, And of the butterfly, And of the breeze, amen! #paganism #c

Minoan Midsummer: Layers of Religion

Jun 22, 2016
3 min

Minoan Midsummer: Layers of Religion

Religion isn’t a static thing. We don’t invent a religion once and leave it as is for centuries. Cultures change, people change, and spiritual practice changes, too. Minoan civilization lasted for centuries. Just the “palace” periods, the times when the big temple complexes were being built and rebuilt, lasted about 500 years. Minoan civilization as a whole lasted more than two millennia. And during that time, the spiritual practice in ancient Crete changed and grew. We can t

Minoan Peak Sanctuaries: Way Up There

Nov 18, 2015
1 min

Minoan Peak Sanctuaries: Way Up There

Would you walk all the way up a mountain on foot just to make an offering to your gods? The ancient Minoans did. Find out more about the peak sanctuaries atop the jagged mountains of Crete in today's Minoan Path blog post: Minoan Peak Sanctuaries: Way Up There Have you ever made a pilgrimage? Would you like to? #spirituality #calendar #crete #paganism #cosmology

Happy new year!

Sep 23, 2015
1 min

Happy new year!

No, I haven't lost my mind. The Autumn Equinox is the agricultural new year in Mediterranean climates. This fact had an important effect on the ancient Minoans' calendar, for both their farming and their religion. Click through for the full article: Happy new year! (No, I haven't lost my mind.) No matter what season you're enjoying now, I wish you a lovely one! #minoan #paganism #calendar